Planning the Perfect Valentine&#39;s Day

Last year, Google reported that 62 percent of restaurant searches on Valentine’s Day occurred on a mobile device. Whether planning a date with your spouse of 15 years or a first date, using a mobile device is an easy way to plan a great Valentine’s Day at a moment’s notice.

Open Table is one of the most popular restaurant reservation apps. It works with thousands of restaurants nationwide to provide the most up-to-date information on availability at a nearby location. Diners can earn points for using the app, which can then be redeemed for cash.

To impress a date from the moment you walk up to the door, UBER provides on-demand car service and is available in many urban areas. The app finds the closest town car in your area and within minutes, a private driver arrives.

Looking to plan a low-key celebration at home? Select the perfect movie through the Redbox app and swing by your nearest location on the way home. To plan a romantic dinner, browse through the Pinterest app to find new and unique recipe ideas. When picking up wine, apps like Hello Vino match wine and food pairings to suggest the appropriate bottle.

Those who have a long-distance valentine can still arrange a nice evening.. Mobile services that enable live streaming, like Tango or Skype, can create a great face-to-face experience on a smartphone or tablet.

For last-minute gift givers, 1800Flowers.com has a mobile site and an app, to quickly place orders and check delivery status right from their phones. To send a quick note to a loved one, Lovestagram, a plug-in for Instagram, uses photos to create love-themed, customized valentines – a great, last-minute way to say Happy Valentine’s Day.

Cat Tales, Inc. recently began using Intuit GoPayment, a mobile payment application that allows the shelter to quickly accept electronic donations from a smartphone or tablet. In an organization run by volunteers, that convenience allows workers to quickly accept donations in many locations.